Zomato co-founder and chief people officer Akriti Chopra resigns with “immediate effect”: Read her ‘resignation email’ to CEO Deepinder Goyal

Zomato’s chief people officer and co-founder, Akriti Chopra, has announced her resignation from the online food delivery platform effective immediately. According to a stock exchange filing, Chopra is leaving the company to pursue other interests. One of the oldest Zomato employees, Chopra joined Zomato in 2011 as a senior manager of finance and operations.She was promoted to chief financial officer in 2019 and became a co-founder ahead of the company’s IPO. In her most recent role, she was also Zomato’s chief people officer.
The Lady Shri Ram College graduate — also a qualified chartered accountant — is reported to have played an important role in building Zomato’s in-house legal, governance, risk and compliance teams. She has also been instrumental in facilitating several funding rounds for Zomato as a private firm, as well as setting up the company’s presence in international markets, from which it has now pulled out.

What her email to CEO Deepinder Goyal said

“Deepi, As discussed, formally sending in my resignation effective today, September 27, 2024. It’s been an incredibly enriching journey over the past 13 years. Thank you for everything. I’m always a call away -) Wishing you and Eternal, the very best,” Chopra wrote in her resignation mail which was uploaded on the stock exchange.

What Zomato said in its exchange filing on Akriti

“We would like to inform you that Ms. Akriti Chopra, CoFounder & Chief People Officer designated as Senior Management Personnel (“SMP”), has tendered her resignation w.e.f. September 27, 2024,” said Zomato in its exchange filing. Zomato stated that the co-founder is going “to pursue other interests,” with effect from Friday, as per its BSE filing.

Shareholders concern behind resignation?

Her decision to leave the company comes after several shareholders raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and governance issues following Zomato’s acquisition of Blinkit in 2022. Blinkit’s founder, Albinder Dhindsa, is Chopra’s husband.
Chopra’s departure marks the fifth Zomato co-founder to leave the company since its founding. Other notable departures include Gunjan Patidar, Mohit Gupta, Gaurav Gupta, and Pankaj Chaddah. Additionally, several senior executives have also exited Zomato in recent years.